Need advice - safest mountain passes to drive out West

Hi there,

I have been doing some research and found this great forum. I figured the best, most common-sense advice on this topic would be from the most experienced truck drivers.

I am making a cross-country move from Massachusetts to northwest Washington State, driving a fully-loaded 26 foot International One-Way Penske truck, towing a car carrier with a very small sub-compact car.

Currently, I am outside of Scranton, PA, and have made it through the hills of the Poconos. Ended up having to switch out trucks, because the original truck we got could barely make it to 30mph with my foot to the floor. Turns out it probably had a blown transmission or exhaust manifold and is going to the graveyard. I’m very grateful hubby and I are with a friend, and discovered the problem now, rather than further west on our trip. It appears the original shop may have known it had problems, or didn’t do their due diligence inspecting the truck.

Anyhow, we are going to continue on within the next 24 hours in a much better truck that has been thoroughly inspected. I can already feel the difference.

We are plotting out our trip from here. We will most likely take I-90 and some of I-80 to our destination. I have been given a tutorial about safety guidelines, downshifting, etc...to the letter. Our whole life is in this truck.

Our biggest concern is the mountain passes we encounter from Montana, Idaho and Washington. What are their names? Are there any with difficult switchbacks, curves or hairpin turns? The fewer mountain passes the better. I have driven over the passes before, in the late summer/early fall in a passenger car, so not totally unfamiliar.

I am also being mindful of load shifting in the truck. I am pretty sure the packers evenly distributed the weight, although I know some may be closer to the back (lots of family paintings/artwork). Will this be an issue?

Given all of this, would I-80 be better, to 84 in Oregon, and then up through the Tri-cities in Washington? We did this on the trip to Mass. 3 years ago. I would love to bypass the Seattle traffic as much as possible, as we are heading north of there.

Anyhow, any and all sage advice is most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Jenn

 

Thank you all for the great advice. It has boosted my confidence. I am going to follow your advice with regard to speed and braking. I also figure if I could make it up and down some of these grades here on 84 going into Scranton with a piece of ####e truck with almost no transmission and a bent axle, I can get us over those mountain passes in a much better truck. Steady as she goes.